The Calm Before The Storm
by Sassy Satsuma
Summary: After being hit by a wave of inspiration I decided to make this into a collection of Roach/Ghost one shots/flashbacks. Slash.
1. Ready Up

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

* * *

"_Captain Price? Request permission to take the safehouse with Roach?"_

"You ready?" Ghost nodded, checking over his beloved ACR quickly and efficiently. He didn't turn around to face Roach directly, but that didn't matter. The younger soldier could tell by the tone of his voice that he was apprehensive.

After all, he prided himself on knowing Ghost that little bit better than the rest of the 141. Sure, he was second in command to Soap and the two were close friends, but Roach was hardly insecure when it came to Ghost's relationship with their CO. After all, Ghost and Soap were just that, good friends, maybe even _best_ friends. Roach and Ghost however? They were something much more complicated than that.

It was through this knowledge that Roach first realised something was up. In some ways it had been strange that Ghost had even asked for Roach for this op, rather than Price or Soap, one of the higher ranking members of the task force being the more logical choice. And even with that aside, during the briefing Ghost had been unnaturally quiet, standing almost stoically, his stance never even shifting through out. Even his pre operation confidence was absent, his voice when he finally did speak putting on a darker, more serious tone. Riley was a damn good soldier, everyone knew that along with Riley himself. It was for that reason that he had become a barometer for the rest of the group. After all, if Ghost was scared, then the rest of the team fucking should be.

"Locked and Loaded." Roach nodded as he turned round to face the lieutenant, who by this point was sitting down on one of the two wooden benches that lay in the centre of the armoury. Riley's head was in his hands, his gloved fingers rubbing at his temples through the fabric of his mask. Roach watched him curiously for a second, weighing up whether or not he should speak. "You gonna tell me what's wrong or do I have to guess?"

"Nothing's wrong." Riley shook his head. "It's just another op."

"So there's nothing you're not telling me?" Raising a concerned eyebrow, Roach sat down beside Ghost, not bothering to keep that much distance between them.

"No…"

"You're sure? Because if I'm walking into a suicide mission I'd like to know about it first…"

"Christ Roach!" Ghost suddenly hissed. "I wouldn't do that to you." He took in a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders before finally raising his head, blue eyes fixing with Gary's. "You're gonna think I'm being stupid…"

"Too late for that…"

"Very funny…" Riley rolled his eyes. "But seriously, I've just…got a bad feeling. About Makarov, about this op. That's all." He sighed. "I don't know why."

"I guess after the week we've had…it makes sense." Roach shrugged. "But we're the 141 right? If anyone can handle it…it's us." He paused, risking a brief display of affection on the base and putting his right arm around Ghost's shoulders, his hand squeezing his right shoulder.

"It's not going to be easy." Ghost admitted softly, his head hanging again as Roach's arm left his shoulders. "Safehouse will be crawling with Makarov's men." He glanced quickly to Roach. "I'm sorry for getting you into this mate."

"The bone yard didn't look much better." Roach smiled reassuringly.

"No but still…" Ghost cut himself short, staring intently at the floor whilst he tried to gather his thoughts. "I guess I just wanted you with me this time."

"Why?"

"Take a wild guess."

"I…" Roach was suddenly taken aback. This definitely wasn't the Ghost he was used to. _His _Ghost was the cocky bastard who would very rarely have a good word to say about him in public, the arrogant twat who thought he could come by Roach's room whenever he felt like it and Roach would always accept him with open arms. _His _Ghost would never make any attempt to label anything between them in the slightest.

And suddenly, this new Ghost was changing all that.

"I don't know what to say…" Roach finally managed to finish his sentence, although he wasn't sure whether to look at Riley or not, instead choosing to stare at his knees.

"You don't have to say anything."

"And if I want to?"

"Then you probably shouldn't." Ghost glanced around the armoury quickly. "Hardly the time or the place for all this is it?"

"I guess."

"I just wanted to say something…I treat you like shit sometimes Roach and…" He shrugged, finally meeting Roach's gaze. "I don't mean it…"

"You're making this sound like a goodbye."

"It's not." Ghost laughed softly. "Or at least, I'm not planning on it being one…but we've lost some good guys this week and…it's just made me think, ok?"

"Then stop. It's obviously not good for you." Roach laughed, gently nudging him. "I think I liked the non thinking Riley better anyway."

"You would."

"Too right." Gary winked. "Permission to be very unprofessional, sir?"

"Granted."

"Good choice." Glancing round quickly to make sure they were alone, Roach leant forward, lifting the wool of Ghost's mask just enough to expose his jaw and mouth. He grinned quickly, before pressing forwards into him, their lips meeting sharply. He had learnt that it was kisses like this that pleased Ghost the most, appealing to his mischievous nature with the constant possibility that Soap, Price or one of the other men might walk in on them any second. He had also learnt that Ghost was a possessive kisser, as there would always be that strong hand resting on the back of his head, that dominating, flicking tongue always the first to try and push into his mouth. And Roach also knew that this was the perfect time, however difficult to put an end to their embrace, a move that was always guaranteed to leave his lieutenant hungry for more the next time.

"Enough…" Roach said as soon as they were parted, standing up instinctively so that Ghost couldn't lean forwards and try for another kiss. He watched him smugly as he replaced his mask, unable to stop the proud grin that tore across his features. "We haven't got time…"

"Later?"

"Sure." Roach nodded. "Always got time for you haven't I?"

"I meant for us to talk…"

"That too." Roach smiled softly. "If it's what you want." He reached for his rifle, before holding out his free hand to Ghost to help him up. "Come on, sir. Ready up."

And even though neither of them could truly be sure if they could offer that time, now or ever, pretending that they had all the time in the world was the next best thing…

* * *

**So yes, it was pure fluff with a hint of sadness, and yes, it was my first attempt at Roach/Ghost. So for those reasons, if you have time to review, I would love to know what you think. :) **

**-x-S-x-**


	2. Abusing Authority

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

_**A note from Sassy: **_So, I was training at the gym, and I had this idea, so apologies if it's a little rushed, I was feeling a bit exhausted. Either way, this chapter is written for the lovely **VerityA**, because I promised her a happy (ish) Roach/Ghost. I hope you enjoy it sweetie! :)

And to anyone else, I will write prompts if you suggest them, so if you have one, stick it in a review and I will try my hardest to do it justice.

And now for the rambling bit, I have reviews to reply to from my last Roach/Ghost! So here we go:

**xGhostxStealth:** Ahhh you are so brilliant! Thank you. What you said about the dialogue really made me so happy, since I wasn't really too sure how Roach is supposed to sound (I guess I'm still not that sure…) Here's more Roach/Ghost for you too!

**xStealthxSniperx:** Thank you! I think fluff is always better mixed with a bit of sadness to give it some perspective. And no, they never got the chance to talk…but hey, least it means I can just write more one shot flashbacks like this…

**Dunedain789:** Ahhh, I'm sorry if I stole your title, I never thought to look to see if anyone had already used it before *head desks* I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway!

**VerityA:** I hope you do enjoy this! I did promise… :)

**Reeserella:** I feel so very evil…I might just have to write something on the end where they crashed their plane before they even got to the safe house and managed to escape Shepherd with only a few scratches. It's implausible, but hey, if it keeps them alive. Lol I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**duvalia:** It sounds daft but fluffy yet not was what I was going for, so you made me so so happy with that. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this one too. :)

* * *

He was a complete bastard. An evil, sadistic bastard in fact. From his position on the floor, Roach went through every single scenario that he could in seconds, each of them ending with the man that stood over him in extreme amounts of pain, from bullets to the stomach to repetitive angry blows to the face. _Revenge_. If he could still walk after this was all over then he'd been sorry, really fucking sorry…

"Hello? Roach?" As his body ducked down into another press up, Riley's face was there, eyes glaring through the space in his mask. "Did I tell you to slow down?" He shook his head, laughing, his hand slapping Roach gently on the back of the head. "No…I don't think I did. So give me another twenty."

_Another twenty? _As Roach tried to quicken his pace he tried to calculate how many he had done, but the fatigue that burned within his triceps and pectoral muscles made it all very difficult to keep count. Another twenty press ups would definitely get his score up to somewhere around eighty, where he should have only had to do forty like the rest of the men. After all, this was the gruelling combat fitness test, renowned within the British military. A test of speed and endurance, candidates were expected to complete forty sit ups and press ups in under two and half minutes before going head first straight into running a mile in under nine and a half minutes. Roach coughed slightly, he'd hated it when he was in the SAS, but he hated it even more now…

Especially since Riley was personally making the test a living hell for Roach. Ghost himself was injured from an operation a few days before where a piece of shrapnel had become embedded in his right shoulder. But his position in the team as XO meant that rather than just sitting out the test, he was able to enforce it. And he laws visibly loving every second. Even if all he actually seemed to be doing was intently watching Roach, waiting for any error and then crashing down onto him like a tonne of bricks.

He was at seventy when a flicker of movement beside him told Roach that Chemo was finished, a stale breeze washing across his sweat drenched forehead as he started running. Roach grimaced, groaning slightly as he tried to stop the shaking in his arms, the muscles feeling as if they might stop supporting his weight at any second. They were burning, cramping, a slow build up of lactate choking away what little remained of his strength. At seventy five, Roach was ready to complain. But what could he say? He had a shrewd idea of why Ghost was giving him this special treatment, but he couldn't say it out loud. Especially not with Mactavish standing nearby…

"What you waiting for Roach?" Ghost laughed as Gary finished his final press up, smirking from beneath his mask. "Everyone else is running…"

"Sir." He was up and running, but the only thing that kept his legs moving was the constant thought that ran through Roach's head like a mantra. _I'll fucking get you for this, Simon…_

Ghost had run alongside him for a little while, making sure that Roach wasn't without a constant barrage of mocking and snide comments whilst he ran. It was maddening, not so much because of what Ghost was saying, but more because he knew exactly how to get underneath Roach's skin. And the most infuriating part? Over the past few weeks Roach had given him that information, had allowed the older XO in. And now, now he was paying the price.

With the end in sight, Roach ran harder, faster; kicking off from the ground with every last bit of strength that he felt remained within him. By now Ghost had given up, the strain on his shoulder too much for him to actually keep up. And yet Gary kept running just as hard. Determination was the thing that had gotten him into the SAS, and it would be what kept him in the 141. No matter how fucking hard his XO tried to change that…

* * *

Back in his quarters, a warm shower had eased the ache in his muscles, but had kept Roach's temper white hot. A white towel still knotted around his waist, Roach collapsed on his bed, resigned to letting the air dry his damp skin. After all, moving was far too much of an effort, and he needed to save all of his strength for when he'd finally get his hands on Ghost…

As if on cue, it was there, the usual rhythmic knock that could only ever be Ghost. It had started as a signal in the night, the action of a bored lieutenant looking to lose himself in one of his subordinates but had quickly turned into some kind of twisted arrangement. There was only the one rule to abide by; it always had to be Ghost who came looking for Roach. So no matter how frustrated or bored Gary might get, he'd have to wait until the sound of that knock before he could find some release. After all, Simon Riley was nothing if not a cunning bastard. His plan ensured that no matter what time he came to Roach's room, the younger sergeant would always want him.

He was in for a shock.

"Can I come in?" Riley said as soon as Roach opened the door. His stance was casual, his right arm leaning against the door frame and a couple of his shirt buttons hanging idly open at his neck.

"Sir…" Roach nodded in reply, opening the door long enough for Ghost to enter. He closed it behind him, being sure to lock it quickly.

"Did you enjoy training?"

"I loved every second."

"Really?" Riley laughed, his back to Roach as he took off his mask. When he turned round the arrogant expression that lay across his features made Gary want to both kiss him and kill him instantly. "Because that really wasn't the idea."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Apart from the push ups?" Ghost smirked, unbuttoning another four buttons of his shirt as he closed the distance between them. He held out his hand, running his calloused fingers over Roach's lips momentarily. "Just remind me of my rank again, Roach…"

"What?" Gary hated how his thoughts of revenge seemed to travel downwards with his blood flow.

"You heard me."

"Lieutenant…"

"Very good…" He was rewarded with another smirk from Ghost. "And yours?"

"Sergeant…"

"Even better." Grabbing him roughly under his chin, Riley pulled Roach's face forward into a rough kiss, every inch of it determined to make Roach submit. Finishing with a hard bite to his bottom lip, Ghost pulled back, still grinning. "You needed to remember that."

Suddenly it hit Roach. He instantly knew his misjudgement. It had been four nights previous, when Ghost was out of medical and had come round to Roach's room as usual. Gary didn't want to admit it, not to himself and certainly not to Riley, but he'd genuinely feared for his lover whilst they'd been apart, more so than he should have done. After all, he'd been on the operation too; he'd seen the bloody mess after the shrapnel had struck. Hell, he'd even helped Mactavish carry him to the medivac. So he'd been relieved, immeasurably so when Ghost came to him that night, the same old Ghost just with the addition of a large bandage that wound tightly around his right shoulder. It had been a close call, but everything had returned back to normal.

Except something_ had_ changed; something so small that only the two of them could have noticed it. For whatever reason, and Roach blamed his newly found care for the lieutenant, Gary had actually stopped being as submissive as before. Lost in the moment, swamped in between rough caresses and possessive mouths, Roach had dared to try and dominate Ghost, to push him against a wall and genuinely take control for the first time in their 'relationship'. He hadn't been successful for long, as Riley had been keen to reassert his own dominance, but clearly the memory had persisted in his head, given Ghost all the reason he needed to punish Roach at the next chance he got. _Training._ Roach should have guessed; he knew that deep down he and Riley were as vengeful and vindictive as each other.

_Speaking of revenge… _

When Ghost leaned in for another bruising kiss, Roach was ready for him. He disorientated the lieutenant first, not holding back as a hard punch struck him hard in the jaw, knocking the XO backwards. Gary knew he had to be quick before Riley recovered, so he sprang forward, grabbing Riley's right arm and twisting it behind his back, just enough to put a strain on his injured shoulder. It was ruthless but effective, and Riley froze in his grip, his eyes deep blue pools of confusion and anger.

"Let go…"

"Or what?" Roach quipped, raising a cocky eyebrow. He wrenched Ghost's arm a little more to reassert the power that he had over him. Riley tried to use his left arm to free himself, but Roach had the advantage, using his legs to trip Ghost so they both tumbled to the floor. He collapsed heavily on Ghost, not forgetting his circumstances as he quickly had the lieutenant pinned to the floor, his knees straddling his hips, his hands pinning down his shoulders. "I think you've forgotten something, _sir_…" Sarcasm almost dripped from his voice as he said the word, followed by several sharp nips to the skin of Ghost's chest.

"Roach…" The anger in Riley's voice was priceless. "Let. Go. Of. Me."

"Hmmm…" Roach grinned; pressing his thumb against the bandage over Ghost's shoulder and watching the exquisite gasp of pain leave his lips. "You're supposed to ask what you've forgotten." He bent his head, licking a gentle trail over the bruised skin of Ghost's chest that he had previously bitten. "Shall I tell you?"

"Roach…"

"You see…" Gary leant in closely, speaking so that he was whispering into Ghost's right ear, maintaining a gentle, almost pacifying pressure on his injury. "…Rank doesn't matter here…that's the point." He grinned, tracing a line down Ghost's neck with his tongue. Laughing, Roach made sure that his breath tickled against the now damp skin, earning him a restrained, yet clearly visible shudder from Ghost. "So you can punish me all you want…Because I can give as good as I get." He accentuated his point with another squeeze of Ghost's right shoulder. "Any questions?"

"I'm not going to beg…" He was sure that Riley had meant to sound gruff and authoritative, but with his flushed features and rasping voice the statement lacked menace. "…If that's what you want."

"Good…" Roach smirked, keeping his left hand pressed firmly against Riley's bandage whilst the other scratched a path down his torso, forcing the flimsy fabric of his shirt out of the way in the process. "Because I love a challenge…"

Roach was like a cat that had just got the cream. He'd found a way to dominate Ghost and satisfy the vengeful feeling he was harbouring, but in the process he'd discovered something better. Although he'd fight it with his every breath, Riley was actually enjoying the entire experience, his body shuddering and wriggling beneath Roach's, caught in amongst a tangle of extreme pleasure and extreme pain. And Roach was going to milk this for all it was worth. After all, Ghost was only going to be injured for so long…

* * *

**Ok, so here's the part where I shamelessly beg you for reviews. Except this time I won't. All I will say is think of the characters. Your reviews mean that they get more stories, which means that Ghost gets more chances to abuse Roach. And so everybody wins. So if you're not going to review for me, then do it for Ghost, eh? :P **

**On a serious note though, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the ride. :) **

**-x-S-x-**


	3. Green Eyed Monster

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

_**A note from Sassy:**__ Ok, so true to form these one shots are starting to be almost connected to what's going on in my life, in this case, the fact that I've hurt my shoulder. Either way, if you're in the mood for some fluff with an added dash of Ghost arrogance then you might be in luck. :) I can't take all the credit though; the idea kind of hit me during a conversation with the effortlessly lovely __**VerityA**__… _

_And of course, lovely replies go out to my fabulous reviewers: _

_**VerityA:**__ That's the kind of concrit I strive for :P And if it helps, I laughed a fair bit at the image of Ghost expecting a kiss only to be twatted one by Roach. He's feisty that one :P _

_**XGhostxStealth: **__I like to explore both sides of Roach, his submissive side is cool, but at the same time he can't let Ghost get away with *everything*. But honestly sweetie, you really are way too kind with your comments, thank you :) _

_**God-Damned-Dog: **__I am honoured that my writing is squeal inducing for you! Haha as a reward, here comes another daily update. And encouraging you to write? Well that's brilliant to hear, I will keep a special look out for you in the future. And on another note, I appreciate the support, whether it means you're just reading or reading and reviewing. :) Thank you so so much. _

_Reeserella: Yay! I evilly did write a bit of a red herring there, so I'm kinda glad (in an evil way of course) that it worked momentarily. Both Ghost and I are very happy with your lovely review. *grins*_

* * *

"_Alright…"_ Ghost sighed as he walked into the medical bay. "What's he broken now?"

He was referring to Roach of course. Who else found themselves in need of medical attention more than the clumsy sergeant? It didn't have to just be an operation either. It could be anything. One second they'd be helping to unload some crates filled with equipment, the next Roach would have managed to sprain his wrist.

For a soldier, Ghost did find it a little pathetic. If only in an amusing way at least.

"Nothing broken." Chemo chuckled, standing aside to reveal Roach, who at this point was sitting on one of the beds, nursing his left arm in a sling. "Just a subluxation."

"And again in English?"

"In layman's terms, he's partially dislocated his shoulder." The medic smiled, pointing to Roach's left shoulder. "I've strapped it up, but he needs to rest it." Chemo turned round, speaking to Roach directly this time. "So remember what I said, Gary. The ligaments in your shoulder are weaker now…so if you don't want to see me again in a hurry, _try_ and give them chance to heal."

"Sounds like fun." Roach muttered.

"Don't knock it either." Chemo warned, before turning back to Ghost. "He's going to need a week at the very least with _no_ training. He's in no state to even _hold_ a rifle."

"Great…" Ghost shook his head. "And what am I supposed to tell Mactavish?"

"There's no need." Chemo laughed, picking up his clipboard and crossing something off it. "He's the one who did it."

* * *

"So…did the good Captain finally get sick of that smart mouth of yours?" Ghost smirked underneath his mask. They were making their way back to Roach's quarters, and Riley just couldn't resist the opportunity to tease the younger sergeant.

"What?"

"Your arm." Ghost rolled his eyes. "Chemo says that Mactavish did it."

"He did."

"And? _What happened_?" Riley nudged him in the side. "You can tell me…"

"He…landed on me." They'd reached Roach's door by this point, and the sergeant slipped inside, trying desperately to hide his eagerness for Ghost's reaction.

"Did he?" Ghost shrugged. "Any reason why?"

"Wait…" Roach span round, raising his eyebrow. "Doesn't that…_bother_ you?"

"No…" Pulling off his mask and throwing it casually to the floor, Ghost ran a hand through his tousled dirty blonde hair. "Why would it?"

"So basically he could jump me and you wouldn't give a damn?"

"Please…" Ghost grinned, stepping forwards and giving Roach a patronisingly gentle slap to one cheek. "This is _Mactavish_ we're talking about. He's not about to jump anyone. Especially not you." He laughed softly, turning round and locking Roach's door. "So you going to tell me what you two were _actually_ doing?"

"Rugby…"

"Rugby?" Ghost was laughing harder now as he kicked off his boots in two fluid motions. He padded over to Roach's bed, casually sprawling down along the length of it. "You mean you've been stuck on the injured list because of a bad tackle?" His blue eyes creased shut this time as he was hit by another, slightly louder wave of laughter.

"Thanks for your concern." Roach shook his head, sitting down on his bed beside Ghost. As he did so he winced slightly with pain, but was careful to not let Ghost notice. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If you have to."

"Would you really not care? If it did happen I mean?"

"You mean if Mactavish did actually decide to fuck you?"

"…Yeah."

"But it wouldn't…would it? I mean first off, John just isn't _like that_. And second…" Ghost smirked, trailing his hand suggestively along Roach's nearest leg. "Everyone already kinda knows you're with me…"

"They do?"

"Come on, mate! I spend more time in here then I do in my own room." Riley rolled his eyes. "The guys might be stupid, but they're not _that_ stupid."

"Do you think they care?"

"Doubt it. Some of 'em are probably jealous." He smiled arrogantly. "Maybe even Mactavish…"

"Got it all worked out, haven't you Riley?" Roach sighed bitterly, inching away when Ghost leaned in closer.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything's so easy for you…You're fucking whiter than white and I'm left being the black sheep of the whole task force."

"But that's what makes you so amusing…" Ghost tried to muscle in closer, his hand a constant presence on Roach's left thigh.

"I'm being serious Riley!" Gary knocked his hand away with his good hand, glaring at his lover.

"Oh come on, Roach…_don't be pissed_." Ghost tried again with his hand, but it was to no avail. "Is this just because I didn't get jealous?"

"That's part of it." Roach shook his head. "I'm not your pet, Riley."

"I know…I know…" The shift in Ghost's tone was almost immediate, his words suddenly softer, an alien sound considering the gruff nature of his accent. "But I think you're confusing jealousy with caring, here."

"Go on…"

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Roach…I'm not a jealous person. Never have been." Riley shrugged. "But just because I'm not jealous doesn't mean I don't…you know…_care_."

"Really?"

"Really." He rolled his eyes. "I can't spell it out any clearer than that, Gary."

"Sorry…" The sergeant paused, looking at Ghost with guilty eyes. He twisted on the bed to look at him better, but in the process forgot his shoulder, hissing slightly as the injury groaned beneath his skin.

"Still hurts?"

"Like fuck." Gary smiled weakly.

"Aw…_diddums_…" Ghost cooed sarcastically, although the full effect of the comment was lost on Gary as the lieutenant sat up and moved to straddle his hips, kneeling on his thighs. He reached forward slowly, yet decisively, moving around Gary's sling to unbutton the first few buttons of his shirt. Satisfied that enough skin was exposed, he leant in closer, tilting his head so that he was free of Roach's injury yet still able to suck at the pulse point directly underneath his jaw. The body below him writhed slightly, a soft gasp escaping Gary's lips. "Do you need a distraction?" He cocked and eyebrow, before leaning in and lapping at the now bruising skin with his tongue.

"That depends…" Roach smirked, knotting his free hand in Riley's hair. "…Are you free all week?"

* * *

**So, Ghost and I wait with breath that is baited to hear what you think. I wait because I'm obviously very egotistical and love to hear your views, but Ghost just wants more opportunities to make jump Roach. So please, if you have the chance, please make either of our wishes come true. :) **

**And as always, thanks so much for your support. **

**-x-S-x- **


	4. Denial

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

_**A note from Sassy: **__So whilst I struggle on through the land of serious plots in my other story, here comes another bout of smutty fun with Roach/Ghost, with all the power struggles and teasing that involves. It's also completely and utterly dedicated to __**VerityA**__, mainly because without all her messages whilst I was writing it, I'm not sure I'd have managed to get this thing finished. :) _

_I also just want to make a very quick point about this series to avoid any confusion. Essentially, The Calm Before The Storm was a one shot, and therefore appeared as a "complete fic". However since then I got a taste for writing Ghost/Roach, and so I made this fic into a collection of pre Loose Ends Ghost/Roach one shots. So basically, all of the stories are in the same "Universe" as it were, but they are in no particular order. Sorry for any confusion there, but I just didn't want to clog up the community by starting another story. :) Now please excuse me whilst I squee at my beautiful reviewers! _

_**xGhostxStealth:**__ I'm so glad you thought it was cute! And I did the same thing Roach did in the jealousy fic, but I'm all good now. :) Thank you as always for your fabulous reviews. _

_**VerityA:**__ No post Loose Ends to be in this story, far too angsty for me at the moment. Haha and yes, Ghost the lovable jerk who can't always be on top…sums him up perfectly. :) _

_**xStealthxSniperx: **__See above about the complete/in progress thing. :) I am very flattered that I've managed to write your favourite pairing and do it justice. _

_**Reeserella:**__ As an occasional rugby player, I completely get what your saying, tackles __**hurt. **__And the people who land on me aren't Mactavish. :P Thanks for the review! _

_**WhiteNoseHound:**__ Thank you! Compliments to my writing style always result in a lot of blushing on my part. :)_

_**duvalia:**__ You've been busy with my fics! Lol your comments about chapter 2 inspired me for this chapter to get Roach abusing Ghost but in a slightly more subtle way. And making you laugh also makes me very happy too :D Please do continue your reviews, you're now Roach's favourite. :) _

_**Strude:**__ Aww thank you! I am very flattered that you think I have a talent *blush*. The characters always worry me the most, especially since none of them are gay in canon lol. _

_**Zombies-Of-A-Down:**__ Here's more for you! Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoy this one too. :)_

* * *

"_Hey Ghost, wanna play a game?" _

Riley was beginning to think that those six words were amongst the worst in the English language.

It was the usual post-coital scene. They were lying in Roach's bed, close enough to be touching yet not cuddling by any stretch of the imagination; after all, they didn't _do _that. Their clothes formed a line from the door of the room to the bed, Ghost's mask being one of the first to have been removed, ensuring that it would always be the last to be replaced. Their skin was sticky, dampened by sweat, the air conditioned room causing it to form an icy sheen across their torsos. A sheet had been idly tossed across their legs, drawn up to the waist, yet so thin that the outlines of their legs and feet were clearly visible. And Roach. Roach was as always smoking, a habit which Riley hated but had been forced to grow accustomed to.

"So…what do you think?" Roach spoke, wisps of smoke dangling idly in front of his lips. He turned to Riley beside him, his bottom lip swollen and bruised by the other man's teeth.

"What do I think to what?"

"A game." The sergeant smirked.

"Depends." Riley rolled his eyes quickly, leaning away from the cloud of smoke that seemed to surround Roach. He had learnt quickly from experience that any game Gary wanted to play didn't usually end well, at least not for him. "You know I don't like games."

"You might like this one."

"_Really?_" Cocking an eyebrow, Ghost turned to Roach. "Not interested."

"So how about if we made it interesting?" Gary practically cooed, ghosting a hand up Riley's arm. Whether he meant to or not, tiny flecks of ash dropped onto Ghost's skin, and he hissed sharply.

"Interesting?"

"Say if we made it a bet." Roach laughed, withdrawing his hand and taking a long, deliberate drag from his cigarette. "You love to gamble, right?"

"What are the odds?"

"Completely up to you." Gary shrugged, looking back to the lieutenant. "In fact you could see it as easy money."

"Go on…"

"One week." Roach nodded quickly. "You have to go one week without me. Fifty quid says you can't do it."

"Hardly fair." Ghost shook his head. "We _work_ together. I can't avoid you for a week."

"You _know_ what I mean, Riley."

"How about…" He gave Roach a sly smile. "I just give you the fifty quid now and we forget it?"

"No…"

"To be honest, fifty is hardly an incentive, anyway."

"Fine…make it a hundred." Roach rolled his eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah." The sergeant nodded softly. "Though if you cave, _just once_, then you owe me that same hundred…Deal?"

"Ok…" Riley grinned in return, his competitive streak winning him over in the end. He laughed to himself, watching Roach closely. "You've just screwed yourself out of that money, mate."

"We'll see." Gary smirked back, before giving the lieutenant an arrogant look. "Though you have to leave…_now_."

"But I only just got here…" Ghost's fist was firmly knotted in Roach's hair, pulling him forwards so that they were so close that his breath brushed against Gary's cheek. He increased the grip of his hand, resulting in a soft, yet noticeable gasp from the sergeant. "…You don't really want me to go?"

"No…" Roach grinned smugly. "But if you don't want to lose that hundred quid then you might want to…"

Ghost groaned, standing up and quickly getting dressed. He was beginning to hate this game already…

* * *

Two days in and Ghost was already beginning to lose it.

He'd thought it would have been oh so easy, that the week would have passed by quickly and soon he'd be a hundred pounds richer and have all important bragging rights over Gary. But it wasn't _that_ simple. Time on the base was practically _dragging, _almost as if to spite him. There were no operations planned, and if he had to take inventory of their supplies one more time he thought he might actually go insane. And with Mactavish standing right there over him, even Riley knew that was a bad idea.

The only thing he could do was train, and train hard. They had a small gym set up on the base, filled with the more basic types of equipment, treadmills, weights, and a few of the bigger machines. Most of the time is was left pretty unused, as the majority of the task force were either on operations or training drills, but when things got really quiet it became a home away from home for Riley, giving him a place to just block out the rest of the world and focus on one thing and one thing alone.

Of course, the gym had its downsides too. It always provided Riley with a buzz, an adrenaline rush which was as close to that which he might get from an operation. He would push himself until his very muscles gave way, his triceps, biceps and pectorals all groaning with pain underneath his skin, but the warm, energetic feeling he got in return was worth it all. _Endorphins_. The legal high was fleeting, but it could be prolonged, _if_ you knew how. Riley's usual method was Roach. He would train until his head was dizzy with chemicals, spinning with lust and want. And then he'd show up on the sergeant's doorstep and make that feeling last another half an hour longer, until it grew to a point where his body would finally accept sleep and his muscles would be granted their release.

Except _not this time._ Riley had the endorphin rush, but no one to go ride it out with.

Grunting, he wiped at the beads of sweat culminating on his brow, his breathing erratic and strained. His frustration was becoming painfully obvious, and for a few moments he stared at the lat machine in front of him, idly weighing up whether a release right now was worth his money and the even more painful dent to his pride that would follow. Could he really give that_ kind _of satisfaction to Roach?

No, was the answer, and in response to his own frustration Riley leant forwards, changing the weight on the machine to a higher setting. After all, the more tired he became now, the sooner he could sleep, and the sooner he was asleep, the less time he would have to think about Roach…

* * *

On day four, Ghost was pacing like a wild animal.

He'd hidden himself away in his quarters with some paperwork that Mactavish had wanted to avoid. Normally Ghost would be quite happy to let his superior put up with this rare form of work he so obviously hated, but right then Riley needed anything to keep his head and more importantly his _hands_ busy.

It was typical that the one week Roach had chosen for his sick game would have had to be one of the quietest he'd known throughout his time with the task force. And what didn't help was the fact that Ghost had significantly underestimated his lust towards Roach. Maybe that was why Gary had suggested it in the first place. The ideal opportunity to tease him into an almost frenzy whilst proving to Ghost that he did actually _need him_ too. After all, Roach was inherently insecure and seemed to need almost constant reassurance, something that Riley was just as inherently unwilling to give. He didn't do it on purpose, but it just wasn't in his nature.

Either way, there was no doubt in his mind that he _wanted _Roach, possibly more than he had _ever _wanted him. Every look, every conversation they'd shared over the past four days (no matter how hard he'd tried to avoid them) convinced him of that fact, made his mouth go a little dry and his thoughts go spiralling off into fantasy.

If Roach was doing this for some kind of affirmation, then he had chosen the most tortuous way possible to achieve that…

* * *

Five days in and Roach was cheating.

It was a horrifically hot day, the sun beating down onto the tarmac and producing a jagged haze that seemed to surround absolutely everything. The morning's training had been nothing short of cruel, and all everyone really wanted to do was sit down and cool off. Which most were allowed to do, aside from Ghost, who instead had to be simply content with following Mactavish around and listening to half baked orders from Shepherd.

There was a pool, or a tank on the base, something they would occasionally use in training drills. It was a good couple of metres deep, and on days where the sun had gotten so ridiculously intense some of the men would use it as more of a swimming pool, a cooler way of exercising opposed to the stifling gym or a maddening jog around the base perimeter. Roach was notoriously one of them, a man who'd been an award winning swimmer in school and as result always seemed that little bit more at home in the water rather than on dry land.

Mactavish was in the middle of explaining a new mind numbingly boring protocol when Ghost first noticed, his attention drawn by a loud splash. He'd seen the figure skimming through the water before, but it never really registered as actually being Roach since most of the figure's features were obscured from view. In the distance there had been some laughing and joking where Gary had obviously climbed out, greeted by the smart mouthed comments of the infamously water hating Royce. The splash that had attracted his attention, Riley assumed, must have been Roach pushing Royce nosily into the pool, a heavy stream of gargles and abuse leaving the man's mouth. What _kept_ Riley's attention however was Roach, a towel wrapped around his waist, idly walking back towards their living quarters, which unfortunately were directly behind Ghost and Mactavish. As he moved, Riley tried to avoid him completely, but it was impossible when there were so many drops of water, beading down across Roach's chest and in between the flecks of black hair that lay there, before sliding down alongside the heavily defined abdominal muscles below…

"Ghost?" Mactavish's voice was suddenly ringing in his ears, and Ghost jumped in his skin, his eyes immediately focused back on his Captain as Roach walked past them almost knowingly. "What do you think?"

"Umm…honestly, sir?" Riley stalled, realising that he had absolutely no idea what his superior was referring to. He decided to take a chance, clearing his throat before speaking again. "I… I'd say it sounds good."

"Really?" The Captain replied with a raise of his scarred eyebrow.

"Um…yeah…"

"If you say so." Mactavish shrugged. "I guess I'll see what I can do then." With a quick nod to Ghost, he strode off in the opposite direction.

Riley had no idea what the fuck he had just agreed to, but to be blunt that was the least of his problems. Swallowing hard, he quickly shook any thoughts of following Roach like he so obviously wanted from his mind. After all, he'd come this far, and with any luck he would be over the worst now. Or at least he hoped so. Besides, as he clenched his fists into tight balls, Riley suddenly realised that he wanted to kill Roach nearly as much as he wanted to kiss him. He was being toyed with, and although Riley had agreed to that, it was suddenly beginning to feel very unfair.

But, that didn't mean that he was going to give in. The competitive nature that had gotten him into this mess in the first place was sure of that…

* * *

_11.57pm _

He was by no means a vain person, but Ghost checked his reflection again, for lack of something to do rather than out of necessity. He'd chosen to leave his mask off, and a hand quickly tore through his longer than regulation hair. Turning his face to the side, he glanced to his jaw, dragging a hand across the short layer of stubble that lined his face. It was what his Dad would probably have called "designer stubble", but to Roach it was practically irresistible.

_11.58pm _

Smiling to his reflection, Ghost stepped towards the door, his eyes almost fixed to his watch. In exactly two minutes day seven would be over. And he knew exactly _where_ he was headed…

* * *

_12.02pm _

Roach yawned, peeling himself from his bed and stepping towards the door. He didn't need to guess who was behind the loud, rhythmic knock at his door as he glanced behind him, to where a cheque made out to Riley lay innocently. He wouldn't miss the money, especially not with what was to come.

"It's been a week." Ghost smirked when Roach opened the door, his arms folded across his chest.

"And you're late." Roach nodded in reply, standing aside so that the lieutenant could enter the room. "I expected to see you two minutes ago."

"Cocky twat aren't you? Thought I'd make _you_ wait is all…" Ghost watched the younger man intently as he sighed, turning his back to lock the door. Roach figured that turning his back on Riley would be a big mistake, but he did it anyway, feeling strangely satisfied when a tight grip pushed him forwards, painfully against the object, his left hand twisted up behind his back and Riley's hot breath brushing across his neck. "I really started to fucking hate you this week…"

"But I haven't done _anything_…" Roach struggled, testing Riley's grip rather than trying to escape. But Ghost had him pinned almost unbelievably strongly, his manner so much more dominating that Roach was accustomed to.

"Exactly…" Still holding Roach's arm tight behind his back, Riley used his free hand to tear at the fabric of Gary's shirt, exposing his right shoulder to the cool air of the room. The thing he knew, Roach was desperately trying to retain a gasp as Ghost bit down, _hard_, his teeth purposely breaking the skin at his shoulder blade. The action was painful, but there was no denying that Roach got off on that, and he closed his eyes, almost immediately accepting that trying to fight back against Ghost was not what tonight would be about. After all, he'd driven Ghost to this, and now, finally, it looked as if he might get a little payback.

A few kisses were pressed to his neck, accompanied with the occasional rake of sharp teeth across his skin before Roach found himself spun round, disorientated, his wrists suddenly pinned high above his head by one of Ghost's hands. Gary tested the movement, but the action was met by a persistent growl from Ghost, who leant in and landed a bruising kiss to his lover's mouth, plundering and dominating as he went. He began to tear at Roach's clothes, the sound of ripping fabric becoming an ever present sound, and with every fresh piece of skin revealed there was a new sequence of kisses, bites and sucks. It was beginning to feel as if Ghost would not be content until every inch of Roach's skin would be purple, and Gary was unable to do anything more than simply _give in_, soft groans leaving his mouth as he slammed his head back against the door. The pain barely even registered however, lost amongst an entire ocean worth of other more important sensory information.

Most of his clothes lost, Roach found himself hauled into another bruising kiss, letting his limbs go that bit slacker, a subtle hint to Ghost that this time he actually _was _going to submit relatively easily. Riley's response was simply to start pushing Roach towards the bed, waiting until his legs hit the side of it before pushing harder and knocking Roach backwards sprawling onto it. There was no time to recover or pause for breath however as Ghost was suddenly back upon him, his body lying heavily on top of Roach's, continuing its attentions and abuses across the taut skin of his chest. The zips and buttons on Riley's still intact clothes scraped and pinched at Gary's skin, another more obvious sign of the other man's blatant dominance. A kind of dominance, that at least just this once, Gary genuinely believed Ghost had earned.

"I've had a week…" Ghost smirked, his voice husky as he dragged his teeth across Roach's collarbone. "…to _plan_ this."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Roach had meant for his voice to be louder, but all he could manage was a breathless sigh.

"I'm not…" The lieutenant grinned, finally meeting Roach's gaze and pressing an alien, soft kiss to his lips. "You made me wait a whole week…_seven days_." He pressed another, oddly sensitive kiss to Roach's lips, watching him closely before he continued, his words slow, clear and deliberate. "Payback's a bitch. And believe me…you're going to _beg_…"

Riley's head slipped from view, and moments later Roach felt a definitive bite to the inside of his thigh. He suppressed a groan, staring down his body to Ghost who was simply looking so _god damned_ pleased with himself. For split second Roach toyed with the idea of provoking him further and putting up a fight after all, but he quickly decided against it. There was an intensity in the lieutenant's eyes that told him that that might just be a bad idea.

After all, Roach wasn't going to admit it to Ghost any time soon, but he was _enjoying _this just as much as Ghost was. Maybe even a little more. And sure, he might reward his lover by begging eventually, but for the moment… well Roach was going to see just how far he'd managed to push Riley in the space of just seven days.

After all, _this _game might be over. But there was always going to be another one…

* * *

**So we finally see a little more dominant!Ghost. On a random note, I am blown away by the support I have received for this random collection of one shots, so hey, if you feel like stroking Roach's or even Ghost's ego, then go ahead and hit that review button. They'd be eternally grateful. :) As would I obviously. **

**-x-S-x- **


	5. White Christmas

_**Warning! **__This fic is slash, so if you don't like that, don't read. I should probably also warn that there will be a fair bit of swearing. When I say fair, I mean a lot. _

_**Also! This chapter is rated M for explicit (ish) scenes. You have been warned. **_

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :) I should probably also point out that this fic does not under any circumstances endorse drink driving. It's beyond stupid, but is only in this fic because it fitted with the plot.

_**A note from Sassy: **_So when plots in my other series get too much for me, I resort to writing some gratuitous Roach/Ghost. I should probably point out that I was attempting to write a Christmas fic here, but it spiralled and only became loosely festive. But still, its here, and I do so hope that you enjoy basking in its Roach/Ghost glory. :P And of course, it wouldn't be a post from me without replying to all you awesome reviewers!

**Reeserella:** An oxymoron indeed. And haha, I have to say I hadn't got SAW in mind when I wrote the first line…but I guess you're right! Lol! Thanks for your review. :)

**WhiteNoseHound:** I completely agree that dom!Ghost is sexy as hell. And yeah…Roach is a brat, but it wouldn't be as fun if he wasn't :P. I hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks :)

**xStealthxSniperx: **Well Roach is a tease and secretly Ghost loves being teased, he just won't admit it. Either way, thank you very much, your review made me smile greatly. :)

**VerityA:** Pfft, distraction? Scratch that out and replace with "muse". And goodness knows what you'll think to this chapter… :) *hugs*

**Zombies of a Down:** Thank you so very much! I think I'm getting pretty attached to the pairing myself I have to say. You're very kind though. I'm glad you're enjoying with this collection is going. Your support means a lot to me. :)

**duvalia**: I think Roach completely adores you by now tbh. *nods* I kinda wish I had put more "cheating" into Denial, but it just felt so damn repetitive. Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you! :)

* * *

"Come home with me?"

Even amongst all of chinks and clanks that surrounded them in the weights training room, the words were there, completely unmistakable. Completely _undeniable_. Ghost glanced to his right quickly, catching Roach's curious stare only briefly. Choosing to stay silent, he instead reached upwards, grabbing the bar in front of him and pulling down, his biceps straining underneath his vest top as he began to support the 80kg weight. "…Riley?"

"What?" His tone was more exasperated than he had meant it to be as Ghost let go of the weight machine with a heavy clang, distracted. He turned to Roach again, this time meeting his gaze properly.

"I_ know_ you heard me." The sergeant rolled his eyes. "Unless you're going to try telling me that you can't hear through that mask."

"I didn't think you were serious."

"Why else would I say it?" Roach shook his head. "_Christ_…you're hard work sometimes."

"So are you."

"Have to be with you, don't I?" Gary shrugged, speaking between repetitions with the free weights. After completing ten agonising lifts, he put them down, leaning against the wall and giving Ghost his _best_ serious look. "So…?"

"So what?"

"What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" Ghost laughed, standing up so that he faced Roach. He looked into the other man's brown eyes, realising that his teasing wasn't exactly doing him any good in the current circumstances. Sighing, he brought his left hand up to wipe at his dampened brow, his eyes focusing on the wall behind Roach as he spoke again. "I've got my own home to go to 'ant I?"

"That's not the point." The sergeant shook his head. "I was asking you to come with _me._" He paused, giving the lieutenant a hard, distasteful look. "It's just fucking _Christmas_, Riley."

Christmas. To Ghost it was just something that happened to other people. Fortunately it was easy enough to avoid, with counter terrorism and operations having little regard for religious festivals. But this year was different. They'd been patrolling through Afghanistan for months, based on one of the military bases just on the cusp of Helmand. It had been dusty, frustrating and difficult work, and to be frank they all felt half dead by the time they returned to the friendlier confines of their base. As a reward they had all been given a month's leave, just in time for Christmas day, the only stipulation being that if they were needed then they would have to report straight back to base.

"And?" Ghost scoffed, turning his back to Roach and busying himself with stretching out his already aching muscles. "What do you want to do? Sit around a fire roasting chestnuts and listening to fucking Bing Crosby?" He laughed. "Sorry…but that's just not me."

"Would it kill you to be human for a second?" The irritation in Roach's voice was greater than Riley had anticipated.

"Not liking Bing Crosby makes me inhuman?"

"Riley…" Gary warned. "Give it a rest."

"Fine…" Ghost held his hands up in the air in mock surrender as he turned round. He smirked at Roach, stepping forward quickly, forcing him back against the wall. Leaning in, but not actually touching him, Ghost spoke directly into the sergeant's ear. "But I don't get this…" He ran a light hand up Gary's arm, fingers flickering across the veins that were jutting out from under his skin. "…We live in the same fucking city for Christ's sake….its not like you won't _see_ me." He grinned, although when he replied his voice was lower, his tone more serious. "But I don't _do_ Christmas, ok?"

"But…" Roach rolled his eyes, leaning as far back into the wall as possible to avoid Riley. "_Forget it_."

"Hey…" Catching him hard under the chin, Ghost pulled Roach's face to look at him, not particularly caring that his fingers were digging harshly into the other man's skin. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"You know what." Ghost laughed. "Where you go all quiet and defeated on me…"

"I wasn't."

"Really?" The lieutenant cocked an eyebrow. He tilted his head, weighing up Roach's reaction, before leaning in further, landing an almost possessive suck at the patch of skin just below Gary's right ear, a spot he knew was horrifically sensitive. An almost involuntary shudder passed through the body next to him and Ghost let out a gentle laugh. "Forgive me?" He pulled away to watch Gary's reaction, but the sergeant simply shrunk away from him, his eyes half closed. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ghost rolled his eyes, muttering something inaudibly before tilting his head again, returning his attentions to the pressure point below Roach's ear. This time he was biting gently at the skin, soothing it intermittently with quick laps of his tongue. When the body flush against his became that little bit more relaxed, Riley moved his mouth, pressing a row of kisses and sucks up Roach's jaw line until his hungry lips finally found his mouth. There they fought in a tangle of movement, Ghost ever persistent as Gary tried his damndest to ignore him. It was impossible however as Ghost finally managed to gain the advantage, pushing his tongue ever so slightly into Roach's mouth and forcing him to yield, a devilish hand sliding down his body and slipping below the elastic of his boxers.

"Riley…" Roach broke free from his mouth almost instantly, his lips reddened and his voice hoarse.

"What?"

"Not here…" Gary tried to shake his head. "…_Mactavish_…"

"Scared he's going to find us?" Ghost smirked arrogantly, accompanying the words with a deliberate slide of his hand. He grinned when Roach was unable to hold back a soft moan. "It's dangerous…but you like that, right?" He moved his hand again, although this time the movement was painfully slow.

"Fuck…" Gary breathed, his eyes caught between the sudden desire to get off and the fear of being walked in on. When Ghost pushed him further with a more constant, if still agonisingly slow movement of his hand, Roach virtually unravelled in front of him.

"Still want me to stop?"

In reality, Ghost didn't really need an answer. Roach was already too far gone, leaning back against the wall; his eyes now firmly clamped shut and his mouth hanging slightly open, expletives leaking from his lips freely as Riley increased the speed of his hand. Laughing hoarsely, Ghost found himself being drawn in, his face pulled into a frantic, almost desperate kiss, tensed hands fisting in his still damp hair. It was an action that couldn't fail to make Riley grin into the kiss.

At least Roach had stopped thinking about Christmas…

* * *

The most predominant thing he noticed first was the smell of dust.

Kicking his flat door shut behind him, Riley glanced around his pedestrian apartment. The light was already beginning to fade outside, giving the place an already dull appearance, the glimmer of orange street lamps the only bright feature through the glass of the windows. He'd barely changed the place since he'd bought it, and as a result the wall were white washed, made all the more clinical by the mismatch of furniture scattered through the living room, from a dark grey sofa to an odd light wood coffee table his last girlfriend had left behind eons ago. It was the only thing that truly showed that he actually lived there, the walls devoid of any pictures, photos or memorabilia.

Tossing his jacket idly over the back of the sofa, Ghost took in another breath of the stale, freezing cold air, inwardly wishing that it was warm enough for him to at least open a window. Grunting in distaste, he headed straight for the radiator, cranking it up to full before heading for the kitchen. There he dug out a half opened bottle of vodka, downing a hefty measure of it to simply warm his insides. As the strong alcohol set fire to his senses, Ghost headed back to the living room, throwing himself across the sofa, careful to remove the combat knife that he always felt the need to carry in his jeans. Idly he twisted the blade around in his palms, watching the street light's distant gleam glitter off the metallic edge. Another swig of vodka from the bottle made Ghost let out a small grunt of contentment as he leant forwards, reaching for the television remote.

"_Good evening Britain! It's Christmas Eve…so let's celebrate that festive feeling with some stellar entertainment! Next up we have a special-"_

The overly enthusiastic television presenter was rudely silenced as Riley quickly clicked off the TV in disgust. He groaned, jamming the combat knife that still lay in his hand hard into the coffee table, watching as the object quivered, the blade embedded deep within the wood. Brimming with a frustration that he wasn't even aware that he possessed, Ghost threw back his head, pouring gulps of clear, inferno like vodka down his throat, revelling in the shudder that slammed through his nervous system. The alcohol seemed to light up his world momentarily, a false smile spreading wide across his features. But the euphoria was short lived. Soon the invigorating haze across his mind lifted, and the flat around him was suddenly plunged back into a dark pit, cold, empty and most strangely, _lonely_. For a man who regularly enjoyed_ just_ his own company, Riley was caught unaware by the feeling, vulnerable thoughts slowly creeping their way into his psyche. For the first time in years, Ghost wasn't satisfied with simply hearing _just_ his own breathing.

He was being pathetic, and he knew it as Riley stood slowly, dragging himself towards the bedroom. Alternating between downing more vodka and peeling off his clothes, he crawled into bed, propping himself up with as many pillows as he could reach. The sheets were cold and musty, but he didn't care, pulling the bottle of vodka into bed with him and holding it like a feed bottle above his head, allowing the liquid to drain slowly into his mouth, his throat swallowing as much as it could before the bitter sting on his tonsils grew too great.

As he sank below the stale sheets of his bed, Ghost closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. The nauseous feeling in his stomach would eventually pass, taken over by a numb, completely oblivious sensation that would eventually force him into a heavy slumber. And once asleep, well then there would be no loneliness, vulnerability or regret. Only darkness, until he'd finally wake, hopefully when Christmas day was gone and finished, no longer existing as a bitter reminder of the family he'd once lost.

* * *

_It was there. A long, thick knife being held to his throat as he slept. He could feel it against his skin; spots of blood beginning to drip down onto his pillow and torso. A husky laugh seemed to run through the air around him, a constant taunt, and yet Ghost didn't dare spin round to look at his attacker for the fear that they might slit his throat in the process. Instead he was forced to remain stock still, lying there and waiting for the help that would never come…_

He could still feel the knife against his throat as he woke, sitting up quickly in his bed, his hands clasped tight around his neck. It was the same dream that haunted him every night, preying on his constant fear of being caught off guard and unable to save himself. But that night, it had more poignancy. Unlike on the base, his apartment felt alien and imposing, threats and targets a possibility around each and every corner. Ghost sighed, holding his head in his hands. In the seconds it took for his heart rate to slow and his breathing to settle, he honestly thought that he was losing his mind.

His alarm clock read 3.30am as Ghost climbed out of bed, the freezing air attacking the bare skin of his body instantly, causing it to turn to gooseflesh, the hairs on his forearms standing on end. A biting, sharp pain was already beginning to thunder beneath his temples, and his mouth was impossibly dry, his throat feeling as it was almost closed shut. Padding through to the bathroom, Ghost bent down, turning on the cold water tap and drinking directly from the tap for what felt like forever.

When he finally stood up straight, Riley caught sight of himself in the mirror, the reflection that greeted him barely even recognisable. His eyes were bleary, his dirty blonde hair tousled, his eyebrows furrowed into a constant frown. He was a _wreck._ Although his mind was still heavily intoxicated, Riley seemed to see himself clearer, or rather understand the martyr that he had become these last couple of years. He'd lost his family, and as a result he'd lost a lot of the things about his home, about his _real life_, that he used to enjoy. Since their death, he'd been so blinded, so convinced that the real world had nothing left to offer him that Ghost had given up caring about the more mundane parts of his life, the things that had once given him clarity and saved his sanity from the crazed shit that he often witnessed in the field. _Things like Christmas. _He'd been running from that one in particular because he was scared of change.

It had never occurred to him that instead of his home providing him with a new perspective, he'd been getting it from someone on the base…

He was still drunk, but right then that didn't matter as Ghost pulled on his clothes as quickly as possible, not caring to even properly button up his shirt, allowing most of the fabric to hang open and exposing his chest to the cold air. He made for the kitchen, rummaging in the drawers of the kitchen counters until he found them, a small jangling set of car keys that he used far too little. Checking over his flat for anything he might have forgotten, he tossed the keys idly in his hand, before dashing out the front door and into the night.

The streets had been almost deserted, the rest of London having the sense to stay indoors in the warm as he'd driven through the city, not particularly caring about his speed or control. The presence of the vodka was leaving him as he drove, but it was replaced by a dehydrated, nauseating haze, which had clouded his senses and made him drowsy. He'd resorted to playing his radio at full blast, relying on the heavy noise to keep him conscious enough to pick his way through the unfamiliar streets.

It had taken nearly half an hour, but he was suddenly there, stood outside Roach's front door and tapping at it with his usual rhythmic knock. His legs were jittering from the cold, his breath hitching as waves of icy wind blew across the exposed skin of his chest and abdomen. When there was no movement inside the flat, he knocked again, this time making sure that his fist bounced noisily off the wood of the door. Roach's sleeping neighbours didn't even enter his thoughts…

"R-Riley?" When Roach finally came to the door, dressed in his black boxers and precious little else, Ghost was unable to stop an almost relieved smirk spreading across his features. Brown, tired eyes continued to look back at him bemused, short black hair flattened on one side, giving Roach's face an uneven look.

"…Merry Christmas." Ghost shrugged stupidly, the words the first to come to mind. He didn't really give a damn about how ridiculous he sounded, grinning back at Roach. "I'm late…I know."

"You'd be a shit Santa." Gary rolled his eyes, although his face was still contorted with confusion. "It's _3.30am_…"

"I know."

"And you're on my doorstep…"

"I know."

"…Drunk."

"Yeah well…" Ghost laughed softly. "Party season isn't it?" He visibly shivered, giving Roach an almost expectant look. "You gonna let me in or what?"

The sergeant stepped aside silently, holding the door open long enough for Ghost to wander into the flat. Unlike his, it was a ground floor flat, and was far smaller and less spacious. The hallway he found himself was a tight squeeze for both their broad shoulders, and as Roach turned around from locking the door, he found himself pressed up against Simon. For a split second, Riley searched the deep brown eyes in front of his, desperately trying to read Gary's emotions to determine whether or not he was angry, relieved, or surprised. But he was either too drunk or Roach was too clever, as Ghost was unable to glean any other information aside from the fact that Roach was just staring right back at him silently.

He decided a physical test was the best course of action.

Pushing forwards, his mouth lazily connected with Roach's, pressing an almost testing, moist kiss to the sergeant's lips. Gary was wrong footed by the strange action, but he instantly kissed back, and when Riley leant in again he found himself embroiled in a far deeper kiss, Roach's tongue quickly working its way into lapping between his lips. Mixed with the vodka still coursing through his bloodstream, lust became a painfully addictive drug, and Riley was soon pulling at Roach's hair with frantic hands, desperate fingers scraping against the bare skin of his back. His half undone shirt was lost in seconds to the floor, and his jeans were the next to be attacked, his belt buckle hitting him in the stomach awkwardly as he struggled to loosen the garment. Roach in the mean time was busy driving him insane, swipes of his tongue sweeping across the roof of his mouth, his tongue and in between his lips, the pressure of his mouth bruising and equally as lustful. The sergeant made a feeble attempt to guide them towards his bedroom, but they only made it as far as the living room before Ghost lost his footing and toppled to the floor, pulling Roach down with him. There was a brief scuffle where both men fought to be on top, punctuated with harsh bites and painful wrenching of limbs, but through brute strength alone Ghost managed to make it out on top, pinning Roach between him with his thighs, eager hands busily pushing away the irritating fabric of his boxers.

His mind didn't particularly acknowledge the need for a lot of preparation as Ghost clumsily settled himself between Roach's legs, his fingers forcing heavy grunts from the sergeant laid quivering beneath him. The sounds seemed to reverberate through Riley's body too as he withdrew his hands, leaning down and kissing Roach slowly, every movement of his mouth deliberate. When he simply couldn't hold back any longer, Ghost snapped his hips forward, catching Roach so off guard that he bit down on Riley's bottom lip hard as the sudden full feeling left him with a deep, encroaching pain shooting up through his entire body. Ghost however was beyond a point of control, as he shamelessly began to move against Roach's body in a way that would have probably made even _**he**_ embarrassed if he were sober.

"Fuck…" Ghost's heart was stammering wildly in his chest, his skin covered in a thick sheen of sweat when he finally rolled off of Roach, lying on the floor beside him, one leg still draped lazily across his body. He reached up with his right hand, rubbing at the sore pain that was beginning to return at his temples, his body's endorphins only able to hold back his hang over for so long. "That was…"

"Yeah…" Roach smirked breathlessly, glancing to the man on his left. He shifted his position on the floor slightly, already wincing at how sore his body felt. "You should drink more often."

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Riley grimaced. "…I don't think I'm ever going to want to drink again…"

"Just wait until New Year…" Gary laughed. "You'll change your mind." He paused, biting his lip and watching Riley with more serious eyes. "And maybe you'll let me join in next time."

"Maybe."

"Are you going to stay?" Roach cocked an uneasy eyebrow, completely unsure of Riley's reaction. "The night I mean…well…what's _left _of it."

"I really shouldn't drive…" Ghost groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. He wiped at them slowly before looking back to Gary. "Do you want me to go?"

"I asked you to come in the first place…remember?" Roach laughed sarcastically. "But you're the one who _'doesn't do Christmas'_."

"If you're Christmas mornings were like that…" Riley smirked smugly. "Then you had one _fucked up_ childhood."

"Very funny."

"But I'll give it a try."

"Give what a try?"

"The whole…'staying for Christmas' thing." Riley shrugged noncommittally, but the soft smile on his features was enough to give him away. "…But I have two rules."

"Which are?"

"It can't be fucking Christmassy." He grinned, nudging Roach in the side. "And if I here just one fucking verse of 'White Christmas' I'll walk…ok?"

"What about 'Winter Wonderland'?"

"Now you're just fucking _pushing_ it."

Ghost had only told himself that he'd stay at Roach's for a couple of days to appease him. In reality however, he stayed until New Year. After all, in his sudden moment of drunken clarity, Ghost had realised that he was deliberately denying himself everything he cared about because of guilt. But that one week of leave changed him. And although he might not ever admit to Roach what he truly thought, and would constantly hide it behind sarcasm and arrogance, at least Ghost knew the truth. Because _sometimes_, when he was at his weakest, Roach really was the one thing that kept him in touch with the 'real world'. And without that, Ghost's life really didn't extend out of the 141...

* * *

**So my Christmas present to all of you, double Roach/Ghost smut. Of course, the boys are eagerly awaiting your thoughts, so if you fancy entertaining them with your thoughts then I'd be eternally grateful. :) **

**And of course, thank you for reading with me. I know my chapters are huge, but I hope I'm still managing to keep you guys entertained. :D **

**-x-S-x-**


	6. Tension Release

_**Warning! **_This fic is slash, so if you don't like that, don't read. I should probably also warn that there will be a fair bit of swearing. When I say fair, I mean a lot. This is me after all, folks. :)

**Also! This chapter is rated M for explicit (ish) scenes. You have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing to do with Roach, Ghost, or any other part of Modern Warfare as they all belong to Infinity Ward. I'm just amateur writer who likes to borrow them a little. :)

**A note from Sassy: **And so here we are again, back in the realms of Roach/Ghost. I day dream far too much at the gym, and this is what I came up with. For clarity's sake, I should probably point out that this is almost a prologue for this series of one shots, since I figured that I should give my take on how the boys actually 'got together'. On that note I should probably partially dedicate this one shot to **youngwriter123**, because she gave me the idea in one of her reviews. It's also dedicated to the lovely **VerityA** though…who isn't feeling too well right now. Get well soon sweetie! And now, for those review replies I know you all love so much :P

**xGhostxStealth:** Hey…don't worry about the reviewing, just know that I am always honoured to see a review from you, whenever :) I'm so glad you liked the smut though…I hope you enjoy this chapter too sweetie.

**Aurora Lunar 0Love This0:** Thank you for you review, I'm glad you liked it. :D

**duvalia: **And so the mutual appreciation begins again…believe me, you do not need to envy me at all :P On a plus side though, I'm glad you like the scenes. :)

**VerityA: **I love the idea of your happy, flail!dance. LOL As always your reviews make me so ridiculously happy. I'm very glad you like the way I write the boys, and of course, I'd hate to detract from them, so that definitely made me feel like I've accomplished something! *hugs*

**Reeserella: **A late Merry Christmas to you too! And lol, yes, Ghost now loves Christmas (ish) thanks to Roach. Thanks for the review. :D

**xStealthxSniperx:** Haha Ghost secretly cannot resist Roach. Though Ghost puts him through enough in the mean time. *Sigh* Thanks for your lovely review. :D

**Zombie of a Down:** Well, what better way to save Christmas than by sexing Ghost on the living room floor. I think its very festive :P On a serious note I'm glad you like my character developments! And thank you! Lol I just figure if people take the time to review them they deserve a reply. :)

**Youngwriter123:** I hope you like this chapter, like I said; your review is partly to blame for it, since you said you'd like to see how it all got started. Plus, it's even a bit longer too… But seriously thank you so much for your lovely reviews! They really made me smile, and were very kind indeed. It really makes me happy to know that people are enjoying this. If you fancy squeeing about the boys, feel free to drop me a message some time. :) Oh and feel free to keep giving me your feedback obvz.

_And on that note, let's get Ghoaching… :)_

* * *

For the most part, Simon Riley was content with being married to the Special Forces. He lived for the adrenaline rush on operations, for the endorphin buzz that made the world that little bit brighter. He loved the competitive nature of his life, the satisfaction of knowing that he was one of a handful of the best soldiers on the planet. He'd been to places that he could have never have dreamed of from the window of the small, London bedsit he'd grown up in, seen things that amazed him and horrified in him in equal measure. In some ways, through risking his life on a daily basis, Riley had actually managed to _live_…

But although the army, as his wife, catered to most of his needs, there was one thing sorely lacking from his day to day soldier existence, a need left so unfulfilled that it drove him to find a mistress. _Sex._ Whether he was on the base or on an operation, sometimes fucking became all he could think of, a painful reminder of just how long it had been soon throbbing beneath his jeans. Ghost had always been aware that he had a fairly decent sex drive since his late teens and at first the army hadn't really hindered that, all the local girls fawning over him in his uniform when he first signed up. But as he began to progress, first into the Paras, then the SAS and finally into the 141, his social, and sex life quickly began to wane. Now, he wasn't even allowed to disclose his occupation to anyone who didn't have clearance and so long gone were the carefree days when he could use his uniform as a starting point with girls.

If he dwelt on it for too long, it would begin to sadden him how his view of the ideal woman had shifted over the years. At the start he'd been looking for someone who would wait around for him while he was away, a woman who would make him laugh and would allow him to forget all about the army whilst they were together. But now? Now his picture of the ideal woman was more anyone who'd open their legs for him after a brief period of flirtation and wouldn't mind if he crept out during the middle of the night. He'd feel ashamed every time he did it of course, but his logic told him that there was no other way. After all, in the morning there would be questions. And questions would _need_ answers. And answers were the first thing on a very long list of things that he was no longer _allowed_ to give.

Which brought him to Maria, the pretty, slender, raven haired twenty something that he'd spent the last hour and a half chasing. She was confident and quick witted, with a slight shimmer locked away deep in her hazel eyes that had caught his attentions the moment he'd walked into the club. The low cut purple halter neck might have helped a little there too. Either way, she'd been in amongst a couple of friends, but thanks to some quick thinking on Ghost's part, those same friends were now conveniently wrapped up in conversation with Mactavish and Ozone over a steady stream of tequila shots. These rare nights out on leave were popular not just with Riley but with the entire task force, as they finally gave the men some much needed contact, not just with the opposite sex, but more importantly with the outside world…

"Another drink?" The heavy bass of the dance music in the club was trying its hardest to scupper Ghost's attempts at conversation, but at least it gave him an excuse to edge closer to Maria, and he took full advantage, bringing his unmasked face as close to her ear as he dared. When he was sure she'd heard him he pulled back, watching a grateful smile spread across her features.

"Only if _you're_ buying…"

"I like you…" He smirked as turned round, waving their empty shot glasses at the barman closest. Riley hadn't been waiting by the bar half as long as some of the other men stood around him, but no one seemed to want to argue with his cocky nature and almost brutal physique. "Here…" He slid one of the sambuca tumblers across the bar to Maria and quickly picked up his own, waiting until she had lifted the object up to her rose lips. There was another, almost flirtatious smile as her mouth met the rim, and then they were throwing their heads back together, sickly sweet liquorice burning its way down both their throats. It took Ghost a brief second to realise that he had closed his eyes and he opened them quickly, surprised to see Maria eyeing the bare skin of his scarred forearms intently.

"You work out then?"

"A little." He shrugged quickly. "Like to keep fit."

"Clumsy though…" A soft hand was suddenly tracing one of the scars near the rolled up sleeve of his black shirt, the remnants of a deep gash that had run from his elbow to just below his wrist. "All these scars…"

"I'm always walking into things." The lies were almost natural to him now as Ghost moved his arm away, bitter memories of the scar in question flooding back. A man with a knife coming out of nowhere, the blade cutting deep into his skin, the wound mildly infected by the time they'd returned to base. He shuddered, hiding it as much as possible from Maria.

"You get into a fight or something?" The girl's eyes were still fixed firmly to his arm.

"Something like that…" Eager to move the conversation on, Riley decided to test his luck and he edged closer, sliding a hesitant hand onto the base of Maria's back. When she didn't protest, he risked being more forward and slowly curled the hand almost possessively around her waist, bringing her closer to him in the process. "It was a long time ago…"

"You'll have to tell me about it sometime…"

"Maybe I will…" By now Ghost had made so many empty promises by then that he didn't even register when he had made a new one. Instead he just gently dipped his head, pressing a very subtle kiss just below Maria's left ear, to a spot of skin that experience had taught him was highly sensitive. "Don't need to worry about that right now…do we?" He pressed another, longer kiss to the same patch of skin deliberately.

"…What are you doing?"

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No…I…" Maria hesitated. "I just didn't expect you to…"

"Couldn't help myself…sorry." Riley gave her a winning smirk, withdrawing enough to look at her but making sure that his hand remained pressed firmly against her back. "Do you need some air? I think I need a smoke…"

They were soon wheedling their way out of the club, winding in amongst the twisting, euphoric bodies of the dancers in awkward bursts of movement. When they finally did make it through the doors, the cold air sent shockwaves of shudders firing straight through Ghost's body, his eyes suddenly disorientated by the dark night after becoming so accustomed to the glittering neon lights that had enlivened the club dance floor.

"Over here…" Taking Maria by the hand, Ghost let her past the bouncers and into the street, to the opening of an alleyway that led down towards the back entrance of the club. Leaning against the damp, almost icy wall, he watched Maria closely, his left hand still holding hers loosely, her hair and skin tainted by the orange glow from the light that pooled down from the street lamp above them. By now Maria was eyeing him expectantly, and Riley cocked his head, giving her a curious look. "What?"

"Thought you wanted a smoke?"

"I don't…" Riley smiled, tapping his pockets as if to illustrate this fact.

"Then why did you drag me out here?"

"Wanted a bit of privacy." He shrugged gently, reaching forward and looping his right hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him again. "Something wrong with that?"

"No…but it's all a bit fast."

"Can't we just go with it?" Riley laughed softly, using his left hand to brush her fringe from in front of her eyes. "I like you…you like me. Where's the problem?"

"I have rules about this sort of thing…"

"And I like breaking rules." Ghost smirked, leaning in closer and pressing the most fleeting of kisses to Maria's lips. He drew back, a deep grin of satisfaction etched across his features. "Come on…Live a little."

When he pressed forwards to kiss her again, Riley knew it was a gamble, one that he hoped the last hour and a half of listening had made a sure thing. And it was, as the mouth that met his reciprocated his kiss almost instantly, the much softer lips gently moving against his own. Slender arms wound their way up around his neck and the tight body he'd been practically fantasising about for the whole evening pressed against his torso, foreign heat suddenly clashing with his own. For a man who had barely even been near a gorgeous woman in at least four months it was enough to send a deep groan spilling out from his lips, whilst his hands busied themselves in exploring the gentle curves of her waist and the tumbling cascade of her hair.

They could have been kissing for hours or seconds, but it soon became very clear to Riley that he was in desperate need of so much more, and he tried to press this fact into the kiss, his movements becoming that little more urgent and needy. Maria seemed to notice the change in tone immediately and she pulled away, her lips red and her voice breathless.

"This has been fun…" She grinned softly. "…Maybe we should do it again sometime."

"What?" The confusion on Riley's face must have been blatantly obvious.

"…I need to go." Maria took a hesitant step backwards, fishing into her small handbag until she found her phone. "But you can have my number…if you want to see me again."

"I was thinking of something…more… _physical_." Ghost laughed gently, taking a step off the wall to get closer to her again.

"…We've only _just_ met…"

"And I'm only in town for one night…" He shrugged casually. "Thought we might as well…you know…make the most of it."

"Excuse me?" The outrage on Maria's face instantly made him regret his choice of words. "Do I look _that_ easy?"

"Hey…I never said-"

"You didn't need to." She spat, taking another step further away from him. "I _actually_ thought you were bothered, you know? All that talking at the bar…was_ this_ what all that was for?" She gave him an incredulous look. "You're just like every other bastard in there!"

"Maria…look-"

"Look what? You didn't mean to lead me on? Is that it?" She scoffed. "No…you just wanted me to be your quick fix for the night…" She laughed darkly, half turning away from him so that she could put more distance between them, her eyes giving him a disgusted look as she did so. "If you're that bloody desperate then go find yourself a prostitute. They charge by the _hour_…"

Ghost watched her leave and toyed with the idea of going after her, but it would make no difference. Like it or not, everything she had said was true and his motives had been less than pure from the start. But he didn't have a choice. Like it or not, a one night stand was all that he had to offer. It would _always_ be the only thing that he could offer whilst he was involved with the 141.

Riley couldn't be sure of how long he had been stood there in the cold and damp, drizzle like rain misting around him, his mind locked within his own thoughts. He was only rudely shaken from them by a familiar smug accent, a stocky figure suddenly appearing in his peripheral vision.

"Get stood up, sir?" Gary Sanderson, the 141's latest FNG. Normally Ghost made it his business to avoid the FNGs as much as physically possible, because to be frank their naïve arrogance pissed him off to no end, but Roach had a knack for popping up _exactly_ when Riley didn't want to see him.

"Fuck off, Sanderson."

"I was only asking…" Roach shrugged defensively, although he made no signs of moving away, instead pausing to light the cigarette that was hanging idly from his mouth. "Where's the girl?"

"She left." Ghost rolled his eyes, before glaring at the FNG with contempt. "You fucking stalking me or something?"

"Self important much?" Gary scoffed, breathing out a large plume of smoke. "Just came out for a smoke, didn't I?" He watched Riley closely for a moment, almost weighing up whether or not he should speak again. "Never mind though…club full of girls right?"

"I'm going home…" Riley shook his head quickly, pushing off from the wall. "Can't be bothered with this anymore…"

"Really? Sounds like a waste of a good night's leave if you ask me."

"Well no ones asking you to do the same." Riley sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Still. A bit defeatist right?"

"Why don't you finish that and go fuck with someone else?"

"Because fucking with you is so much more fun…_sir_…" The word was clearly added as an afterthought, which riled Ghost completely.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh don't pull that superiority bollocks with me. We're both dressed as civvies and we've both had a drink, what do you want? A full fucking salute?" Roach gave him a sly, calculated smile as he pulled the last life from his cigarette. "Or has that girl ditching you dented your pride…?"

"I'm only gonna tell you one more time, Sanderson. Fuck. _Off_."

"Yeah…yeah…" Gary laughed, flicking away the remnants of the cigarette, his gaze fixed on Ghost the whole time. "Does that make you feel like a big man again?"

Riley's reaction was so quick that it took him a moment to realise what he was doing himself, his hands automatically making a grab for Roach's collar and dragging him forcefully into the dimly lit alleyway. His brain was by now a confused blur of anger, frustration and alcohol induced rage, his sole aim to remove the annoying little shit who seemed to be revelling in his current misery as he threw Gary hard against the wall, not caring how much damage the action might do. Still keeping him pinned against the brick, Ghost found his voice, his tone gruff and brutal. "Not very smart are you, Gary? Fucking with your XO?" He punctuated his words by shoving Roach against the wall again, harder this time around. "You know I could make your time at the 141 a living hell for this…"

"I'm so _scared_…" Roach smirked, seemingly enjoying everything Riley threw at him. "Come on, Simon…it's going to take more than that to scare me…

"You fucking watch your mouth…"

"…Make me…" Roach laughed, his face indignant, eyes never flinching from Ghost's stern glare. A sarcastic grin spread across his features, and he added slowly. "…_Sir_…"

Riley's fist met with Roach's cheekbone with almost bone crushing force, the action sending a shockwave of pain up Ghost's forearm as he made contact. In his recovery, Gary managed to push off from the wall and he forced himself forwards, unsteadying Ghost deliberately. The lieutenant chose to retaliate with a second punch, this time catching Roach's in the jaw, but the man barely staggered, a thick, taunting grin beginning to stretch across his features. The mere sight of it drove Riley insane and he pushed forwards again, ready with another punch that had every intention of breaking the other man's nose. But this time Roach was ready and he blocked the action with ease, before forcing his knuckles into Riley's left eye, the sharp impact sending white flashes darting momentarily across his vision. In the confusion, Roach sent another punch into Riley's face, knocking him backwards noisily into some bins, bottles and waste paper sent flying across the floor along with him.

"Not so big now…are you?" Roach taunted, a smug smirk the only thing that Ghost could see from his toppled position on the floor. He grimaced, spitting a small amount of bloody saliva from his mouth, taking his time as he stood to lure Roach into a false sense of security. The action appeared to work, as when he lunged forward to tackle Roach to the floor, the sergeant was easily wrong footed and they were soon sprawled out across the cold, wet tarmac of the alley floor.

As he lay on top of Roach, Ghost tried to catch his breath, his mind a tumbling whirlwind of thoughts. A big part of him wanted to continue to beat the sergeant senseless, but with the lull in their fight came some clarity and Ghost's blood lust lessened to an extent where continuing to fight with Gary seemed no long justifiable. But a split second later, everything suddenly became insignificant. Because as he lay there, contemplating standing up, Ghost suddenly realised that the man beneath him was _hard_. Painfully so. And on closer inspection of himself, Ghost suddenly became aware that he was too.

Suddenly, it wasn't about them anymore, wasn't even about a battle for dominance or some drunken argument strewn with low blows and cheap shots. Suddenly, it was all about release, about pure, animalistic lust. Ghost was standing up quickly, his hand meshed in Gary's hair, pulling him up forcefully alongside him. His strong hands were suddenly gripping his face, bringing it into a kiss that was bruising, dominant and purely driven by the overpowering need to just _get off_. There was no ceremony as their tongues clashed against each other, no words or questions as Ghost pushed Roach further into the alleyway, only content when they were shrouded in darkness and the sergeant's back was pressed firmly against another damp wall. Rain coated their skin, their clothes and their hands, blood tainted their lips, teeth clashing and tongues delving even further as the action itself became more frantic. Lost amongst a wave of peculiar feeling, Ghost was certain that nothing could feel better than this, until suddenly, it was there, the strange pressure of a cold, wet hand delving deftly down inside his boxers. His body immediately tensed, suddenly unsure, until the hand started to move and waves of ecstasy began to tear through his system from the sudden friction. Throwing his head back, Simon fought back a moan, choosing instead to let a stream of expletives tumble from his lips. Opening his eyes, he managed to regain some form of focus, suddenly realising that he was alone in this new feeling, Roach being left painfully neglected. Clumsily he tried to return the favour, his right hand pushing down past Roach's jeans and boxers, mirroring the actions of the sergeant as much as Riley was able. As their movements quickened there turned out to be very little technique in the action and the more frantic their movements became, the more desperately both men raced towards their own climaxes.

His knees were weak, but that didn't stop Ghost from stepping back from Roach as soon as he was able, his post climax brain suddenly left to pick up the pieces that his lust fuelled self had left behind. He swallowed hard, finding it difficult to meet Gary's gaze as he busied himself with refastening his jeans, the sound of sliding zippers the only noise in the alleyway for a good minute or so.

"We…shouldn't talk about that." Ghost said suddenly, nodding decisively as he did so.

"Oh yeah…I was just planning on telling _everyone_." Roach rolled his eyes.

"I meant_ we_ shouldn't talk about it." Riley gave him an exasperated look.

"What's there to talk about? It happened didn't it?" The sergeant gave him a relaxed smile. "Wasn't so bad either…"

"It was a one night thing."

"Sure."

"…Tension release." Riley shrugged. "We both needed to get laid and so-"

"I think this classes as 'talking about it'." Gary smirked, moving away from the wall and giving Riley a quick nod. "Seriously…it is what it is, Simon. I'm not going to start doodling your name all over my reports."

"Good to know." The lieutenant smiled, feeling a little more relaxed now that he was faced with Roach's characteristic sarcasm. He pointed towards the club wall awkwardly. "You going back in?"

"Like this?" Gary laughed, wiping blood from his split lip onto the back of his hand. "You must be kidding me. Hardly look like I just had a smoke, do I?"

"Point made."

"So…I'll see you around." Roach nodded softly, making his way to the alleyway entrance, walking backwards so that Riley could see the smirk that was still etched across his features. He paused, grinning as he spoke out again, his hand curling into an almost mocking salute. "…_Sir_…"

It was a one night thing. Ghost knew it and Roach knew it. They'd been drunk, aroused and the rest had simply fallen into place. It would _not_ happen again. After all, Riley was the tough talking lieutenant and Roach was the cocky little FNG. There was nothing more to it and more importantly, there never _could_ be.

Until exactly two weeks later, when, back on the base, there was an odd, distinctive knock at Roach's door late at night. There'd been no words, because there didn't need to be, as secretly over the time they'd been apart they'd both half expected it to happen again, no matter how much it probably shouldn't have. Even afterwards, as they lay in a tangled heap, there were no explanations, no justifications, no excuses. In Roach's own words; it was simply what it _was_.

They were colleagues. Friends. Friends _with_ benefits. And then, unbeknownst to them both at first, they slowly turned into something more…

* * *

**In the gym, on the living room floor, in an alleyway, the boys really know how to mix it up. And of course, your reviews help them to be even more ambitious and outrageous, so you know, drop them a line if you love them. ;) **

**And on an ever serious note, thanks for reading. You know how much your comments mean to me by now. :D **

**-x-S-x-**


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